Jagdeep Dhankhar's resignation 'biggest example' of BJP's institutional capture: Mallikarjun Kharge

Referring to Dhankhar's surprise resignation, Kharge recalled that the BJP and PM Modi were 'very pleased' when Dhankar, acting for the govt, was 'suppressing' the voices of MPs in the RS and a number of them were suspended.

New Delhi: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Saturday said the "forcing" the resignation of the Vice President by the ruling BJP is the "biggest example" of institutional capture and it came as Jagdeep Dhankhar started asserting himself and showing independence.

Addressing the inaugural session of the Congress Legal Cell's day-long conclave 'Constitutional Challenges: Perspectives and Pathways', he said they must free the judiciary, the Election Commission, and investigative agencies from political interference and prioritise education, healthcare, and employment. "We must make the electoral process free and fair," the Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition said.

Referring to Dhankhar's surprise resignation, he recalled that the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were "very pleased" when Dhankar, acting for the government, was "suppressing" the voices of MPs in the Rajya Sabha and a number of them were suspended.

"Then one day, the Vice President realised his own importance. He felt he was an independent institution, that his tenure would go down in history and be remembered, so he started speaking independently. He began asserting himself according to the rules. He was preparing to accept the impeachment motion against Allahabad Judge Shekhar Yadav and Judge Yashwant Verma," he said.

"This was intolerable to Modi-ji and BJP and they made him resign. This is the first time in history that such a thing happened, and it is the biggest example of institutional capture," he said.

Kharge also claimed that the Modi government has undermined the importance of the Parliamentary Security Service by assigning them to other duties.

Trained to function in accordance with the spirit of Parliament, he said many of them felt insulted and took voluntary retirement after they were replaced by the CISF.

"The CISF reports directly to the Home Minister. Their deployment is an attempt to intimidate and suppress opposition MPs. We strongly condemn this step by the government," he said.

Emphasising that the Constitution is not just a legal document but the soul of our democracy, he said it is under threat as leaders in power are talking about changing its core nature.

Senior leaders of the BJP and RSS intend to remove the words 'socialist' and 'secular' from the Preamble of the Constitution but these are the same people who have included the same words in their party constitution, he said, adding, "from this, you can understand the tactics, face, and character of the BJP-RSS."

He said it is the responsibility of the judiciary, the Election Commission, and the media to protect democracy and therefore, their independence is essential.

"But when a judge uses derogatory words for people of a particular religion and no action is taken, or when the government removes the Chief Justice of India from the process of appointing the Chief Election Commissioner, or when the media is controlled through corporates — this is not democracy; this is dictatorship," he said.